Analysis of the Entrepreneurial Immigrant Profile in Spain

Abstract

Although the immigrant population in Spain has decreased due to the economic crisis of the past five years, few studies have analysed this group. The objective of this research has been to profile the immigrant who decides to start a business in Spain. In order to learn about the probability of immigrant workers being entrepreneurs as a function of their socio-demographic characteristics, data from the Spanish National Institute of Statistics from 2005 to 2016 have been analysed and fieldwork carried out during August and September 2016 on immigrants who are self-employed. The results show a lower rate of entrepreneurship in the immigrant population vis-a-vis the native population and the fact that creating their own business begins at an earlier age for immigrants when compared to the national average.